CHS senior hoping community gives Food for Thought

What started as one mother's idea to help less-fortunate Fritsch elementary school children during the holidays is quickly becoming one of the area's fastest-growing nonprofits.

Now, with the help of Cari Holmes, 18, a Carson High senior, a major fundraiser is planned to help keep the estimated 450 homeless children enrolled in Carson City schools from going hungry on weekends.

From 6-8 p.m. April 11, Holmes will host a fundraiser at the Governor's Mansion for Food for Thought. The evening will feature catered food by Mallard's Restaurant at Empire Ranch Golf Course and entertainment, including a performance by the Reno Dance Company - of which Holmes is a member.

"I may even perform one of the numbers - if there's time," she said.

The nonprofit was started in November 2006 by Rebecca Rund, who said she was simply acting "as a concerned Fritsch parent."

Incorporated in January, Food for Thought now gives more than 100 students from four Carson elementary schools meals to take home over the weekends.

"I remember back two Christmases ago I was thinking there were children who went to school with my kids who had no winter clothes, no jackets - they went home for the weekend and came to school famished," Rund said. "At that point, we started giving food to five children every two weeks at Fritsch. It's grown from there."

The volunteer-run program provides students in need from Fritsch, Fremont, Empire and Bordewich Bray bags filled with nutritious and nonperishable meals to take home over the weekends.

"There's actually a bit of a science to it," Rund said. "You can't send a 5-year-old home too overloaded."

The workload is currently shared by a revolving schedule shared by more than 20 volunteers who spend more than 60 hours a week (combined) on the project, Rund said.

"The (hours) can go up, especially around the holidays," she said. "I think this Christmas I was putting in 70 hours a week."

Rund said help from other area nonprofits as well as volunteers from the community, like Holmes, keep the project "going and growing."

Holmes, who is hosting the fundraiser for her senior project, said she used her connections with the event staff at the Governor's Mansion (where she works events part-time) to secure the venue.

After that, it's been a lot of sending cover letters and cold-calling local restaurants and merchants for donations.

"I've been working on this since (last) fall," she said. "It's a lot of work, but a lot of people have been really receptive. There's going to be four or five big raffle prizes."

Holmes hopes to raise $10,000 for Food for Thought at the event.

After graduation, Holmes plans to travel to France as a foreign exchange student to master the language and to travel. She said she plans to keep tabs on Food for Thought while she's away.

"I think a lot of our (senior) projects encourage people to stay active and stay involved in the community," she said. "I plan to e-mail a lot while I'm away."

• Contact reporter Andrew Pridgen at apridgen@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.